News

New Postsecondary Education in Prison Resources, Welcome Bethany Miller and Our 2020 Support of Our Community

• Best Practices for Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs Released by Vera Institute of Justice
• COVID-19 Crisis and Transfer: What Institutions, Systems and States Can Do Today
• Bethany Miller Joins the Education Grantmaking Team

Training for Online Math Teaching, a New Rural Podcast Series and New Resources

• College Math Instructors Praise Timely Training for Online Teaching
• Vera Institute of Justice Works to Develop Guidelines and Supports for Postsecondary Education in Prison
• Podcasts Raise Up Leaders in Rural Places

Podcasts Raise Up Leaders in Rural Places

Ascendium’s philanthropy supports work that helps build collaboration and partnership to support rural learners from enrollment to workforce entry. A series of Rural Matters podcasts explores how several leaders are working to advance college and career goals of learners in rural communities.

Maintain Momentum Grants Top $4.5 million, Plus New Fellowships, Resources, Grants and Events

• Maintain Momentum Initiative Supports AAC&U, NCAN, Yes We Must
• Education Writers Association, Ed Trust Launch Fellowship Programs
• How-to Guide will Benefit Community College Leaders and Stakeholders

New Grants, New Report on Postsecondary Education in Prison Metrics, Strong Start to Finish

• New Grants Support a Spectrum of Student Success Initiatives
• IHEP Releases Groundbreaking KPI Framework Report
• Strong Start To Finish Shows Early Promising Results: Case Studies

Transfer Research Funding, Text Steps, New Resources and Recent Grants

• COVID-19’s Effect on Transfer: Toward a Clearer Picture
• Districts Take Next Steps After Text Steps
• New Resources

A New Initiative Supports Rural Community Colleges

Education Design Lab has received a grant from Ascendium to help five community colleges improve college access and better meet local workforce needs. The nonprofit will start by researching challenges facing rural community colleges, students and communities, and then select five institutions to study and test out models for bolstering economic opportunity.

Maintain Momentum, WV Climb, Racial Justice Grants

• $10 Million Pandemic Grant Initiative Maintains Momentum for Student Success
• Collaboration is Key for West Virginia’s Climb
• Ascendium Awards $200,000 to Madison-Area Nonprofits Working for Racial Justice

West Virginia’s Climb

Read more about a unique initiative Ascendium is supporting that puts partnership and collaboration at its center.

West Virginia Awarded $750,000 from Ascendium to Increase Degree Completion, Leverage Philanthropic Collaborations for Student Success

West Virginia’s Climb aims to arm 60 percent of West Virginia’s workforce with a postsecondary credential by 2030. With grants from a collaborative of funders, including Ascendium, to aid them in their goal, a group of stakeholders will work together to execute key components of the project, including statewide open educational resources and professional development for faculty advisors.